We introduced the soil food web, explored different types of soil and simple DIY tests to explore soil structure, pH and organic matter content. We looked at composting principles and practices, as well as how to make compost teas and other plant feeds from materials growing in your garden.

On the second day we dived into more detail about green manures and cover crops, as well as the role of rotations. We had an introduction to chromatography and also learnt about the important role of biochar in storing carbon and supporting soil health. Finally we explored the politics of soils – why they are being eroded and damaged worlwide and what collective action we can take in response.

Overall it was a really inspiring weekend, with everyone learning from each other and the sessions to support our soils for generations to come.

Inside a spare hotel room, on one of the most northern places on earth, something magical is happening. Plants are growing, worms are composting waste, and people are feeling re-connected to food in a world of mining and monetary extraction.

Meet Benjamin Vidmar, Director of Polar Permaculture Solutions. Benjamin has been working on creating a permaculture system in Svalbard, part of a group of Islands in the Arctic Ocean. A maze of bureaucracy and complexity, with contested land use and a transient population, are some of the challenges he is facing.

Benjamin’s passion for food runs deep, going to culinary school aged 19, then traveling his way round the world by cheffing on ships.

“For a long time, I felt like I had been practicing permaculture, but I didn’t know it was called permaculture,” says Benjamin.

In August 2013, Benjamin finally signed up for a permaculture design course, with Whole Systems Design in Vermont. Soon enough he was hooked, enrolling in the International Diploma of Permaculture Design in September 2013 with Gaia University.

Since beginning his diploma, Benjamin has been focused on developing closed-loop systems on the Island. Its ecology is fascinating. Home to 3,000 polar bears, for 3.5 months of the year there is 24 hour daylight. For 3.5 months there is total darkness.

The busy season between February and May consists of people visiting and playing with dog sleds and snow mobiles. In June and July cruise ships visit the Island. There is a town, school and shopping centre, which everyone goes to. Imported vegetables are in plastic and there is no fresh food.

Everything here is flushed down drains. Nothing can stay here. All the rubbish needs to be shipped back down to Norway and then sent by trucks to Sweden. There is so much energy and resources tied up in simply dealing with our waste. — Benjamin Vidmar

Benjamin is experimenting with some of the ways to close the loops and save energy and resources. His experiments started with simple coffee grinds, and growing mushrooms on them in a spare hotel room. Having imported hydroponic resources to grow fresh salad, Benjamin, once again challenging the logic of it all, decided to try to make his own compost instead. Now he has wormeries eating the food scraps from the hotel, and slowly but surely, he is creating a medium to make the production more sustainable.

“It’s like living on the moon,” says Benjamin. “We don’t have anything growing; no trees, only rock and snow. Grass and flowers grow in the summertime but you always feel like something is missing. You get depressed and you miss what other people take for granted.

Everyone makes so much money but people are still not happy. People walk around like zombies in this tax free place. The only things that are cheap are the bad things — alcohol, cigarettes and so forth. Good food is very expensive. I’ve asked myself, “Why are we not happy here? I think its because we’re out of touch with Nature.”

Benjamin describes that moment of joy when kids come and see his worms, feeling and re-establishing a connection to the earth.

Learning about permaculture has helped me to focus my energy. Now I observe more and watch and wait before making decisions. Before I would just want to dive into everything so quickly. I can see now that everything is patterns and it can take time to put things in the right place.

Benjamin wants to convene a Permaculture Design course on the island and his long term plans are to develop a Permaculture Research Centre, that could experiment with how to make the island, and other similar places, more sustainable.

I’ve been here six years and fallen in love with it. Its such a magical place. Everything is extreme, there is no in-between. It makes you appreciate life.

About the case
Inside the walls of Europe’s largest animal testing laboratory, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), over 100,000 animals are imprisoned and more than 500 animals are killed every day.

In 2005, in an attempt to stop organisers that were successfully undermining the future of animal testing in Europe, UK Government introduced two new laws; SOCPA 145 and 146, part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. These laws only apply to antivivisection campaigners and turn minor public order breaches into serious criminal offences.

In 2012-2013 seven people were raided, arrested and charged for conspiracy to commit SOCPA. Defendants face a two month trial in September 2014 and up to five years in prison if convicted.

Help us fundraise for their court & legal costs. Don’t let them face this alone!

Luke O’Donovan is currently serving a two-year sentence for defending himself during a gay-bashing. He is vegan and is currently not receiving vegan food in prison, despite repeated requests from him and his lawyer.

The solidarity group are asking for a national call-in to the jail. Please call 404-613-2000 (jail), 404-613-2264 (kitchen) and 404-613-2002 (jail) and demand an adequate vegan diet for Luke–and please forward this to like-minded friends. For more information on Luke, his case, and other ways to support him, please visit letlukego.wordpress.com